The Super Bowl may be in a completely different part of the country on Sunday, although there are still many possible scams out there that could pray on Seacoast-area New England Patriots fans this weekend.
The Better Business Bureau has released a variety of tips to help consumers better prepare themselves against knock-off team jerseys, and phony game tickets.
“There are three good reasons not to buy counterfeit goods: theft, quality and security,” said Paula Fleming, spokesperson for the local branch of BBB. “Counterfeit items are stolen goods. If you love your team, don’t buy a hat or jersey from someone who has stolen the team’s name and logo for their own profit. And counterfeit items are almost always more cheaply made, which means they won’t last as long as the real thing.”
Those seeking counterfeit memorabilia online might face an even bigger problem, though, as the BBB has found numerous websites designed to make you think you're buying merchandise, but in actuality all you're doing is giving the site your credit card number and personal information so its operators can steal your identity or drain your bank account.
The BBB recommends buying directly from the team or league websites, or from official vendors at the stadium if you're going, to ensure you're getting official sports gear.
Tickets for the big game can be an even bigger rip-off, according to the BBB. There are thousands of Super Bowl tickets currently listed on Craigslist, but the site offers no guarantees of any kind and does not require identification of its listers.
Find out what's happening in Hampton-North Hamptonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The BBB also said that buying in person isn’t always an improvement, as it’s gotten easier and easier for scammers to make fake tickets that look real.
So where can you turn? Sites such as Stub Hub and Ticketmaster guarantee your tickets’ authenticity.
In general, avoid scams by being skeptical of:
• Offers that sound “too good to be true.”
• Pushy sales tactics.
• Poor quality of merchandise.
• Offers that require wire transfer of funds.
You can also always check out a business first at bbb.org/search.
More consumer tips are available at visit bbb.org/news, and you can register to receive BBB scam alerts at bbb.org/scam.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
